Rehabilitation of Edsa to begin in the middle of June, says Dizon
Motorists are seen enduring the heavy traffic along Edsa in this file photo taken in November 2021. (好色先生TV file photo / JONATHAN VICENTE)
MANILA, Philippines — The rehabilitation of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) will begin mid-June, said Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday.
Dizon made the pronouncement after an inspection of elevators at the Edsa Busway’s Balintawak Station in Quezon City.
“The DPWH said that the target date for the start, because there are a lot of things that need to be fixed and prepared, the target date is middle of June,” Dizon said in a chance interview.
“There is no exact date yet, but mid-June,” he repeated. “We need to start doing that because, as the president said, it’s been 45 years since Edsa was actually renovated.”
Meanwhile, in a separate chance interview, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Don Artes said the Edsa rehabilitation will commence on June 13.
“The target start date is June 13, so the plan is to actually start on June 13,” he said.
Making portions of skyway free to ease traffic
Dizon cautioned the public to expect heavy traffic along Edsa once the rehabilitation is underway.
Due to this, he said the Department of Transportation (DOTr), in its capacity as chair of the Toll Regulatory Board, will recommend the opening of certain segments of the Skyway for free.
“This is the proposal we will submit [to] alleviate traffic a little bit. We will propose that the travel along the Skyway be made free first,” the secretary suggested.
He identified the area that will be covered: “… only the segment where our vehicles can go up so that motorists don’t have to go through Edsa. They can just go up through the Skyway.)
No other details have been given yet.
Dizon said the plan is still being finalized with other agencies, as well as with various stakeholders./apl
